Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To use a divining rod to search for underground water or minerals.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • See douse.
  • noun See douse.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To use the dipping or divining rod, as in search of water, ore, etc.
  • noun Low A blow on the face.
  • transitive verb To plunge, or duck into water; to immerse; to douse.
  • transitive verb Prov. Eng. To beat or thrash.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A blow on the face.
  • verb To plunge, or duck into water; to immerse; to douse.
  • verb To beat or thrash.
  • verb To use the dipping or divining rod, as in search of water, ore, etc.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb slacken
  • verb use a divining rod in search of underground water or metal
  • verb wet thoroughly
  • verb cover with liquid; pour liquid onto
  • noun searching for underground water or minerals by using a dowsing rod

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

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Examples

  • The killing of innocents is murder, and the support of such killing, no matter how you spin it, fluff it up, paint it pretty, and dowse it in perfume is wrong.

    Archbishop Timothy Dolan: "They made a big mistake." 2009

  • As well as the usual procession of side quests and oddities dotted around Sky Loft, its floating island world above the clouds and the three themed lands beneath, you'll frequently need to dowse, pointing the Wii-remote at the screen to divine the location of lost people and items.

    This week's new games 2011

  • The killing of innocents is murder, and the support of such killing, no matter how you spin it, fluff it up, paint it pretty, and dowse it in perfume is wrong.

    Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: 2009

  • For the first time, I felt that Ric had been able to do with me what he was born to do … dowse the depths of my heart, body, and soul.

    Silver Zombie Carole Nelson Douglas 2010

  • I would fill a bucket of water and dowse the speakers and stereo with water and that would solve that

    Rumblings of Change: The Future's So Loud, I Gotta Wear Earplugs BikeSnobNYC 2010

  • Have you got a brand-new way to dowse for the dead?

    Silver Zombie Carole Nelson Douglas 2010

  • Our awe of the heavens led us to confuse cause and effect, our awe of 'wise men' who could predict eclipses (probably back over 6000 yr/ago), and our awe of men who could dowse water ( origin of the the word sorcerer?) i.e.

    Debunking Astrology: Mars Can't Influence You | Universe Today 2010

  • Getty Images A fireman continues to dowse the burnt remains of a house in Ein Hod, Israel.

    Israeli Police Make Arrests in Fire Joshua Mitnick 2010

  • To find dead bodies, I simply have to dowse for them with a forked piece of wood or wire, like dowsers do for water.

    Silver Zombie Carole Nelson Douglas 2010

  • I like to use a pendulum, to dowse for the specific job opportunities I might follow through with.

    Use Your Intuition to Land the Perfect Job 2009

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